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Gallows Investigations #1
Still Water
Coal is the hard, black heart of the mountain town of Stillwater, West Virginia, but far beneath it lies something much darker, an evil beyond time, waiting to rise and bathe the world in blood and fire once more. When unwitting miners dig into its tomb, only Kyle - Stillwater's prodigal son - and paranormal investigator Maya stand between humanity and Hell. Time is short and evil runs deep in… STIILL WATER
262 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 18, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
November 13, 2022
Overall I enjoyed the story that was told. Great evil beasties attempting to take over the world! I listened to the audio book and the narration was decent. The only issue I really had was with the ham fisted insertion of the authors political opinion. I really didn't see how it contributed to the story and really pulled me out of the narrative.
July 9, 2014
When I looked this book up on GR it seemed to have a number of reviews that loved it and some that appeared to hate it. To be honest I find the polar nature of these reviews very interesting, mainly because I find the books that I enjoy the least are those that are mediocre, middle of the road and instil an air of apathy. In fact, I also think that books that have reviews that are polar opposites are usually the books I enjoy the best. In the case of Still Water, this is very true. The book is absolutely brilliant, one of the best written books I have enjoyed in a long while from an indie author. You can just see from the plot how much hard work was put in to make sure there were no holes in the plot. From the very first page it was utterly compelling, so much so that I read the book from start to finish in a couple of hours. Everything about this book just fit well together, the characters were 3 dimensional, the speech read true, and the plot was brilliant. When reading the book I could see the whole film as a book in my head. 5 star read most definitely, and I really hope Justin R Macumber writes some more horror as from reading this it does seem that a new star is rising in the horror world.
Ps I just want to add a disclaimer that I bought this with my own money!
Ps I just want to add a disclaimer that I bought this with my own money!
June 7, 2016
Another book I picked up after listening to the Dead Robots Society. My initial feelings after the first chapter or so was that someone had been playing too much Silent Hill before writing this book! But, not in a bad way. The setting was the first thing which stood out and works great as we feel the slime and rot from everyone to everything in the town - descriptions, dialogue, appearance - it truly felt like the evil had spread into the roots of the town as much as its people. There were some cliched tropes, but it was fresh enough to work really well.
As much as I wanted to give it a five star, there were a few issues: A few editing mistakes here and there - your vs you're, friend tomatoes instead of fried, etc.
Some of the interlude scenes started to feel unnecessary as it spelled out the plot too much and spoiled the mystery of what was happening. As for the epilogue, wasn't a big fan personally, but each to their own.
Overall, a great read for fans of horror and Lovecraft and one I would strongly recommend. Keep up the good work, Mr. Macumber and come back to the Robots!
As much as I wanted to give it a five star, there were a few issues: A few editing mistakes here and there - your vs you're, friend tomatoes instead of fried, etc.
Some of the interlude scenes started to feel unnecessary as it spelled out the plot too much and spoiled the mystery of what was happening. As for the epilogue, wasn't a big fan personally, but each to their own.
Overall, a great read for fans of horror and Lovecraft and one I would strongly recommend. Keep up the good work, Mr. Macumber and come back to the Robots!
July 8, 2014
I loved the story line to this book. I read some reviews that made this book sound terrible... racist even. but it is set in a small town... and I know from growing up in a small town just how realistic (pertaining to the mind set of the people) this book was. very well written. I look forward to more work from this author.
August 9, 2016
Won't win any awards for originality, but this is a riveting small-town horror tale that I couldn't put down. Macumber's writing style is easy to drink in, and his main cast of characters are easy to root for from the first chapter on.
March 30, 2015
I'll leave my thoughts from my Amazon review here unedited:
I paid $2.99 for this book, and I feel like that was too much.
The writing felt...rushed, cheap, empty. Others have called it action packed, and filled with dread, even likening it to Lovecraft. The author seemed to want to tap into the Lovecraftian feel without really grasping what makes that feel: time. Every single set-piece in the book felt rushed, hurried, lacking any real depth or consequence. And the "noble sacrifice" at the end just felt like the cheapest thing of all.
There's another thing that Lovecraft used: uncertainty. There was no mystery to what was happening. There was no uncertainty to it at all. In fact, the antagonists come right out and say so! "We're gonna raise this eldritch horror to wreak havoc on the earth!!" *turns into horrid monster* Subtlety does not seem to be this author's strong point, and he will take any cheap shot he will to drum up "drama".
So please don't be like me. Don't make the mistake of wasting 3 bucks and several hours of your life. If you want Lovecraftian tension and dread and mystery, do yourself a favor. Read some Lovecraft.
EDIT 3-30-15:
When I first wrote this review, I had just finished the book minutes before, and I was still fuming from the ending I thought was not well-earned. Looking back and thinking over the weekend, I don't think a 1 star review was entirely fair. There were some very good moments in the book. For instance, the first few chapters did do a good job of sucking me in. So, for that, I gave it one more star. The book had potential...however, I still feel that Mr. Macumber did not do a good job of realizing that potential. So, now, with a clear head, I will examine some of the specifics.
WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW
I will assume that you've read the book, at this point, so I'll get into a couple of specific instances that really bugged me, and suggest some ways the author could have fixed them and avoid these problems in the future.
1) The entire chapter involving Darius: This whole section had me scratching my head. Other than a few throwaway lines of frustration by Maya, it was not connected to the rest of the story. There is no resolution to what happened to him. The fact that his car was abandoned never even comes up. It all seemed far too "tidy". In fact, there's another problem throughout the book that is illustrated with this passage: tonal inconsistency. Is this supposed to be a dark, nihilistic, depressing book, or is it supposed to be an "Evil Dead 2", lighter, horror-adventure romp? Because the book whiplashes from the latter, heavily into the former, and back to the latter right after his body is thrown in the truck, never to be seen again.
2) The ending: Even with the tonal shifts and pace that seemed too rushed, the author still had me, right until the scene at the dam. Now, let me preface all this with a statement: I am 100% fine with an author killing off characters, even the main character, if the author "earns it." If you can convince me that that event fits in with the story you want to tell, I'll accept it. However, I do not feel that the author earned it one bit. Why? Well this also goes back to the tonal inconsistency. We see another war between grimdark and horror-adventure here, even the too-sweet epilogue confirms that. And it highlights another problem, a problem with Maya. The entire book, she does nothing but faint or stand there helplessly, with one shining moment of being the exposition machine to propel things into the final act. How could the ending have differed, giving Maya some much-needed agency, and sticking with the book's majority horror-adventure tone? I'll endeavor to explain that below.
So, the Ash-beast has just taken Kyle into the air and Kyle is debating blowing himself up. Maya is supposed to be there in spirit, as was teased before. In fact, all through the book, it was teased that she had untapped power from her "old-blood." Why not pull from that, and also pull from the teased fact that she was able to be in the monster's head, by having her take possession of the beast, saving Kyle, and giving her a "Crowning Moment of Awesome" since Kyle already had his in the mine. That could easily set up sequel potential, as they both know the elder god will awake again, and having their family line set to defend against his coming again.
Or, if the author wanted to go full grimdark, he should have stuck with it. Go full-on Pyrrhic victory, having only the teenagers survive. Have both of the heroes give their lives saving the city, make it effective, blunt...but whatever you do, Mr. Macumber, do not go half-way. That is the ultimate misstep I think this book made. I'm not sure the author really knew which way he wanted to take things. But, what's done is done. I just hope that the story featuring Maya that the author is working on gives her more agency, and does not repeat the mistakes made in his first attempt.
I paid $2.99 for this book, and I feel like that was too much.
The writing felt...rushed, cheap, empty. Others have called it action packed, and filled with dread, even likening it to Lovecraft. The author seemed to want to tap into the Lovecraftian feel without really grasping what makes that feel: time. Every single set-piece in the book felt rushed, hurried, lacking any real depth or consequence. And the "noble sacrifice" at the end just felt like the cheapest thing of all.
There's another thing that Lovecraft used: uncertainty. There was no mystery to what was happening. There was no uncertainty to it at all. In fact, the antagonists come right out and say so! "We're gonna raise this eldritch horror to wreak havoc on the earth!!" *turns into horrid monster* Subtlety does not seem to be this author's strong point, and he will take any cheap shot he will to drum up "drama".
So please don't be like me. Don't make the mistake of wasting 3 bucks and several hours of your life. If you want Lovecraftian tension and dread and mystery, do yourself a favor. Read some Lovecraft.
EDIT 3-30-15:
When I first wrote this review, I had just finished the book minutes before, and I was still fuming from the ending I thought was not well-earned. Looking back and thinking over the weekend, I don't think a 1 star review was entirely fair. There were some very good moments in the book. For instance, the first few chapters did do a good job of sucking me in. So, for that, I gave it one more star. The book had potential...however, I still feel that Mr. Macumber did not do a good job of realizing that potential. So, now, with a clear head, I will examine some of the specifics.
WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW
I will assume that you've read the book, at this point, so I'll get into a couple of specific instances that really bugged me, and suggest some ways the author could have fixed them and avoid these problems in the future.
1) The entire chapter involving Darius: This whole section had me scratching my head. Other than a few throwaway lines of frustration by Maya, it was not connected to the rest of the story. There is no resolution to what happened to him. The fact that his car was abandoned never even comes up. It all seemed far too "tidy". In fact, there's another problem throughout the book that is illustrated with this passage: tonal inconsistency. Is this supposed to be a dark, nihilistic, depressing book, or is it supposed to be an "Evil Dead 2", lighter, horror-adventure romp? Because the book whiplashes from the latter, heavily into the former, and back to the latter right after his body is thrown in the truck, never to be seen again.
2) The ending: Even with the tonal shifts and pace that seemed too rushed, the author still had me, right until the scene at the dam. Now, let me preface all this with a statement: I am 100% fine with an author killing off characters, even the main character, if the author "earns it." If you can convince me that that event fits in with the story you want to tell, I'll accept it. However, I do not feel that the author earned it one bit. Why? Well this also goes back to the tonal inconsistency. We see another war between grimdark and horror-adventure here, even the too-sweet epilogue confirms that. And it highlights another problem, a problem with Maya. The entire book, she does nothing but faint or stand there helplessly, with one shining moment of being the exposition machine to propel things into the final act. How could the ending have differed, giving Maya some much-needed agency, and sticking with the book's majority horror-adventure tone? I'll endeavor to explain that below.
So, the Ash-beast has just taken Kyle into the air and Kyle is debating blowing himself up. Maya is supposed to be there in spirit, as was teased before. In fact, all through the book, it was teased that she had untapped power from her "old-blood." Why not pull from that, and also pull from the teased fact that she was able to be in the monster's head, by having her take possession of the beast, saving Kyle, and giving her a "Crowning Moment of Awesome" since Kyle already had his in the mine. That could easily set up sequel potential, as they both know the elder god will awake again, and having their family line set to defend against his coming again.
Or, if the author wanted to go full grimdark, he should have stuck with it. Go full-on Pyrrhic victory, having only the teenagers survive. Have both of the heroes give their lives saving the city, make it effective, blunt...but whatever you do, Mr. Macumber, do not go half-way. That is the ultimate misstep I think this book made. I'm not sure the author really knew which way he wanted to take things. But, what's done is done. I just hope that the story featuring Maya that the author is working on gives her more agency, and does not repeat the mistakes made in his first attempt.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 1, 2014
Still Water, West Virginia is a tough town to grow up in. It’s a small town and most of its residents work at the local coal mine. The mine may be a dark place but there is something beneath the mine that’s much darker. The tomb of an evil god has now been disturbed and its effecting the whole town.
It starts with a change in attitude, everyone in Still Water is angrier then before and fights are breaking out everywhere. As the ancient sinister force gets closer to awakening, the people in town are changing physically as well and soon the whole world will change and a new age of suffering and hopelessness will begin.
Taylor sees the changes happening in her town and makes a call to her brother Kyle. Kyle left Still Water after graduating high school and never looked back. Now the prodigal son is returning to a Still Water where chaos reigns. He’s not the only one coming into town, a paranormal investigator named Maya is coming to write a story on how strange deaths have been occurring in Still Water. She has no idea what’s really happening in the small mining community but she is about to discover that Kyle and herself maybe the only ones that can stop humanity from tumbling into an evil abyss.
Still Water by Justin Macumber has a feeling of dread that lasts throughout the book. I found myself thinking as I read it, how can these people stop an evil that is as old as the earth itself. Still Water is heavily influenced by the works of H.P. Lovecraft. In Lovecraft’s Cthulhu mythos old gods are awakened and the only thing they want is the destruction of human society. This is the idea behind Still Water. The story starts with a bang as miners are transformed into evil creatures and then builds slowly to an action packed conclusion.
There were a lot of things I liked in Still Water. The description of the small working class town really made it come to life and I liked how Kyle’s family is described. While his family is far from perfect it represents what families are like in working class towns. I enjoyed how the story got into how Taylor feels abandoned by her brother and the guilt that Kyle feels. I also liked the character of Maya, she is a black psychic and a stranger in a strange land. The town would have been against her even if it wasn’t under the influence of evil but it doesn’t stop her from doing what she feels she needs to do.
Still Water is a book that preys upon our worst fears, which is the idea of being powerless in the face of evil. I loved Kyle’s revelation towards the end of the book and the ending was excellent. My only complaint about this book was that I felt the creatures in the mine could have been described a little better and some of the action scenes could have been more detailed. That being said the best part of Still Water is the atmosphere and it has plenty of it, plus a great story to boot. Still Water is a creepy novel that will have you sleeping with the lights on.
It starts with a change in attitude, everyone in Still Water is angrier then before and fights are breaking out everywhere. As the ancient sinister force gets closer to awakening, the people in town are changing physically as well and soon the whole world will change and a new age of suffering and hopelessness will begin.
Taylor sees the changes happening in her town and makes a call to her brother Kyle. Kyle left Still Water after graduating high school and never looked back. Now the prodigal son is returning to a Still Water where chaos reigns. He’s not the only one coming into town, a paranormal investigator named Maya is coming to write a story on how strange deaths have been occurring in Still Water. She has no idea what’s really happening in the small mining community but she is about to discover that Kyle and herself maybe the only ones that can stop humanity from tumbling into an evil abyss.
Still Water by Justin Macumber has a feeling of dread that lasts throughout the book. I found myself thinking as I read it, how can these people stop an evil that is as old as the earth itself. Still Water is heavily influenced by the works of H.P. Lovecraft. In Lovecraft’s Cthulhu mythos old gods are awakened and the only thing they want is the destruction of human society. This is the idea behind Still Water. The story starts with a bang as miners are transformed into evil creatures and then builds slowly to an action packed conclusion.
There were a lot of things I liked in Still Water. The description of the small working class town really made it come to life and I liked how Kyle’s family is described. While his family is far from perfect it represents what families are like in working class towns. I enjoyed how the story got into how Taylor feels abandoned by her brother and the guilt that Kyle feels. I also liked the character of Maya, she is a black psychic and a stranger in a strange land. The town would have been against her even if it wasn’t under the influence of evil but it doesn’t stop her from doing what she feels she needs to do.
Still Water is a book that preys upon our worst fears, which is the idea of being powerless in the face of evil. I loved Kyle’s revelation towards the end of the book and the ending was excellent. My only complaint about this book was that I felt the creatures in the mine could have been described a little better and some of the action scenes could have been more detailed. That being said the best part of Still Water is the atmosphere and it has plenty of it, plus a great story to boot. Still Water is a creepy novel that will have you sleeping with the lights on.
May 5, 2014
TAILS UP !
My first book by Justin Macumber . . . and what a delicious one at that. Quite refreshing to be consumed in an unique-horror-creature tail such as this ! I am thrilled to read stories containing monsters and over-the top creepiness - - - that terrifies and thrills me to no end !
An "oooh and ouch" read of terror that sent tingles and shivers down my spine. Characters that I rooted for with such passion ! ! ! Only certain books are able to reach me in such a manner - - becoming one with some of the characters - including "the beast" was delightful. "Still Water " grabbed . . . and entered my thoughts in an unforgettable way.
I believe I would have survived this attack in the cursed hills of West Virginia. Since the all too human characters had intense dedication, preservation, mental and physical strength, and no choice but to have an open mind on "what" they were dealing with - - - they were able to learn the "beast's" ways and fight 'the good fight' as ferociously as possibly - - - to survive.
Excellent read, especially from one whom has just delved into writing horror. His next release will be sucked-up by me in no time - I'm counting on that Justin R. Macumber ! Congratulations for the nightmares - I am a lover of your book and I am sure to enjoy what is next.
I strongly recommend "Still Water" to horror/monster/creepy/scary/thrilling seeking bookworms - I believe you will thoroughly enjoy this read . . even those whom do not "typically" read horror, this tail will impress you.
5 golden stars for you Justin ! ! ! You Rock !
My first book by Justin Macumber . . . and what a delicious one at that. Quite refreshing to be consumed in an unique-horror-creature tail such as this ! I am thrilled to read stories containing monsters and over-the top creepiness - - - that terrifies and thrills me to no end !
An "oooh and ouch" read of terror that sent tingles and shivers down my spine. Characters that I rooted for with such passion ! ! ! Only certain books are able to reach me in such a manner - - becoming one with some of the characters - including "the beast" was delightful. "Still Water " grabbed . . . and entered my thoughts in an unforgettable way.
I believe I would have survived this attack in the cursed hills of West Virginia. Since the all too human characters had intense dedication, preservation, mental and physical strength, and no choice but to have an open mind on "what" they were dealing with - - - they were able to learn the "beast's" ways and fight 'the good fight' as ferociously as possibly - - - to survive.
Excellent read, especially from one whom has just delved into writing horror. His next release will be sucked-up by me in no time - I'm counting on that Justin R. Macumber ! Congratulations for the nightmares - I am a lover of your book and I am sure to enjoy what is next.
I strongly recommend "Still Water" to horror/monster/creepy/scary/thrilling seeking bookworms - I believe you will thoroughly enjoy this read . . even those whom do not "typically" read horror, this tail will impress you.
5 golden stars for you Justin ! ! ! You Rock !
December 19, 2014
A very enjoyable, good old-fashioned horror novel with a quick pace, interesting characters / setting and some new twists on old tropes. Think "The Coal Miner's Daughter" as written by HP Lovecraft.
Macumber captures the setting of dying coal town in West Virgina very effectively and that sets the tone of decay for much of the work.
The first few chapters are among some of the best I've read this year and he keeps the pace up during the course of the work.
Another observation is the author's refusal to dance around less savory aspects of small town life such as economic inequity, LGBT issues and racism. Macumber pulls no punches and tells it like it (unfortunately) is. A bold risk which I appreciated.
There are a number of "schticks" common to such horror works in "Still Water" but the author uses clever methods of using a reader's assumptions against them to add more impact to the reveals. I appreciated the twists and the "reader expectation judo" he pulls off in the book.
Another point is the value of the book. Absolutely worth the price and I can't say that about every book I read nowadays.
My only nitpicks were;
- excessive use of several words during the story. Uncommon words like "rancid" and "pallor" kept appearing in chapter after chapter.
- Some easy edit misses which detracted from the reading overall; "your =/ you're" and so on.
- Epilogue was a bit too sweet and perfunctory for my taste
- While the primary characters were vivid and substantial, a few of the side characters were blurry placeholders with only names to differentiate them.
Macumber captures the setting of dying coal town in West Virgina very effectively and that sets the tone of decay for much of the work.
The first few chapters are among some of the best I've read this year and he keeps the pace up during the course of the work.
Another observation is the author's refusal to dance around less savory aspects of small town life such as economic inequity, LGBT issues and racism. Macumber pulls no punches and tells it like it (unfortunately) is. A bold risk which I appreciated.
There are a number of "schticks" common to such horror works in "Still Water" but the author uses clever methods of using a reader's assumptions against them to add more impact to the reveals. I appreciated the twists and the "reader expectation judo" he pulls off in the book.
Another point is the value of the book. Absolutely worth the price and I can't say that about every book I read nowadays.
My only nitpicks were;
- excessive use of several words during the story. Uncommon words like "rancid" and "pallor" kept appearing in chapter after chapter.
- Some easy edit misses which detracted from the reading overall; "your =/ you're" and so on.
- Epilogue was a bit too sweet and perfunctory for my taste
- While the primary characters were vivid and substantial, a few of the side characters were blurry placeholders with only names to differentiate them.
May 6, 2014
I couldn't even finish this book and returned it to Amazon as offensive. The synopsis is miners in a small town unearth an ancient evil god that upon awakening will destroy the world. While they are waiting for it to wake up all the adults in town have been turned into evil minions and are slowly transforming.
My issue with the book is the main character comes back to the town because of his younger sister. He hooks up with a ghost hunter who is half black. The townspeople are all incredibly hostile and use the N word a lot. There is also rage against the sister who is gay. Now I don't know much about ancient evil beings but I'm pretty sure the N word wasn't around when they were. Furthermore I doubt whether they would care if someone is gay when their main focus is destroying the world. So why would the townspeople all turn into raving homophobic racist assholes? And then there was this scenario. Heros sister has been taken to the mine along with many of the other children in town to be fed to the evil one when he wakes up. Hero is all I'm so upset about my sister and the townspeople all looking like gray zombies but hey this is a good time to have sex with this ghost buster chick I just met. Between the language and the ridiculous plot I was done.
My issue with the book is the main character comes back to the town because of his younger sister. He hooks up with a ghost hunter who is half black. The townspeople are all incredibly hostile and use the N word a lot. There is also rage against the sister who is gay. Now I don't know much about ancient evil beings but I'm pretty sure the N word wasn't around when they were. Furthermore I doubt whether they would care if someone is gay when their main focus is destroying the world. So why would the townspeople all turn into raving homophobic racist assholes? And then there was this scenario. Heros sister has been taken to the mine along with many of the other children in town to be fed to the evil one when he wakes up. Hero is all I'm so upset about my sister and the townspeople all looking like gray zombies but hey this is a good time to have sex with this ghost buster chick I just met. Between the language and the ridiculous plot I was done.
July 14, 2014
The story takes place in a small West Virginia coal mining town. Kyle, originally from the town, takes leave from his military obligation to respond to Taylor’s (his younger sister) cry for help. Maya, a beautiful young woman with “the gift”, is a ghost hunter and comes to town to investigate some strange stories about the town that her specialized computer program found.
Things look like they are starting off with a typical homecoming for the son that “ran” away, angry parents angry that Kyle “ran” away from home as soon as he could, leaving the town. Taylor angry that her brother “abandoned” her. Then things turn really strange. There is ancient evil in the only open mine still open and it is infecting the town. Then, Taylor disappears. Kyle and Maya race to find Taylor and stop the evil from being unleashed on the world.
This story is one I just couldn’t put down. I stayed up late (1:30 a.m.) to finish it. The characters are compelling and likeable. The story is a grabber. This would be a great read for someone who reads Stephen King, Frank Peretti, and other books of the ilk. It is a great read.
Things look like they are starting off with a typical homecoming for the son that “ran” away, angry parents angry that Kyle “ran” away from home as soon as he could, leaving the town. Taylor angry that her brother “abandoned” her. Then things turn really strange. There is ancient evil in the only open mine still open and it is infecting the town. Then, Taylor disappears. Kyle and Maya race to find Taylor and stop the evil from being unleashed on the world.
This story is one I just couldn’t put down. I stayed up late (1:30 a.m.) to finish it. The characters are compelling and likeable. The story is a grabber. This would be a great read for someone who reads Stephen King, Frank Peretti, and other books of the ilk. It is a great read.
December 27, 2014
I'm still fairly new to the horror genre, and while I didn't get any real terror chills from reading Still Water, there was a definite creepy factor to it that I enjoyed. The thought of some ancient godlike creature looming under a mountain in nearby West Virginia (I live in Tennessee) brought this book close to home. Being from a nearby state made the characters hit close to home, too. I've known people like those in the book. And the fact that one character actually hails from Memphis, TN just made this all the more real. It really set the stage for me.
I don't feel like there was any real lag to the book, nor did it move too quickly. Macumber has a great sense of pacing that kept this book the perfect length for the story he was telling. That can be surprisingly hard to do. The issues his characters deal with (including racism and homophobia) firmly set the stage. He's built a great foundation for his story, in a world where his characters are familiar, if not necessarily comfortable. Then again, I can't see how anyone my age or younger could really be comfortable in Still Water, so great job there!
I don't feel like there was any real lag to the book, nor did it move too quickly. Macumber has a great sense of pacing that kept this book the perfect length for the story he was telling. That can be surprisingly hard to do. The issues his characters deal with (including racism and homophobia) firmly set the stage. He's built a great foundation for his story, in a world where his characters are familiar, if not necessarily comfortable. Then again, I can't see how anyone my age or younger could really be comfortable in Still Water, so great job there!
November 23, 2014
Might be the first horror book I've read in at least a decade or two. I enjoyed it a lot. Very well-written: amazingly awesome dialogue, relatable characters, creepy setting, and never a dull moment.
That being said, it did, at times, feel like the whole story was horror-movie trope after horror-movie trope (MC's are an off-duty soldier and a sexy psychic "journalist," a mine holding an ancient terror gets disturbed, "mutant" rednecks, lesbian sister that the MC is "cool" with, mining equipment used to kill a big-bad, but then the big-bad comes back after they thought it was dead...).
But what made the book stand apart was just how great the characters were drawn, how vivid the setting was, and how well the narration and dialogue were handled. Top it all off with an audio-book read by Veronica Giguere and you have a really really good story that was a pleasure to read.
Story might be a bit cliched, message might be a bit preachy, but it's definitely a fun read. I loved listening to it alone in the dark.
4 severed-mutant-redneck-heads out of 5.
That being said, it did, at times, feel like the whole story was horror-movie trope after horror-movie trope (MC's are an off-duty soldier and a sexy psychic "journalist," a mine holding an ancient terror gets disturbed, "mutant" rednecks, lesbian sister that the MC is "cool" with, mining equipment used to kill a big-bad, but then the big-bad comes back after they thought it was dead...).
But what made the book stand apart was just how great the characters were drawn, how vivid the setting was, and how well the narration and dialogue were handled. Top it all off with an audio-book read by Veronica Giguere and you have a really really good story that was a pleasure to read.
Story might be a bit cliched, message might be a bit preachy, but it's definitely a fun read. I loved listening to it alone in the dark.
4 severed-mutant-redneck-heads out of 5.
June 3, 2014
There is a visceral tension to this book that starts at page one and doesn't let up until the end of the story. The plot focuses on a force that is overwhelmingly dark and malevolent, but is offset by strong characters who manage to keep hope alive in even the most desperate of circumstances. Justin Macumber's writing style is perfect for this type of story because he manages to immerse the reader in the horror that is the town of Stillwater. You come to understand the place and its people, what fuels and drives them, even at it tears the town apart.
What results is a very effective horror novel that is incredibly difficult to put down.
What results is a very effective horror novel that is incredibly difficult to put down.
December 9, 2014
I don't usually read horror because of the gore level and the dumb choices made by many of the characters to prop up the stories. However, I enjoyed Still Water. It didn't insult my intelligence, and most of the time it didn't insult that of its primary characters, either. Overall, the story was interesting and entertaining. Unfortunately, it could benefit from another round of editing as there are still quite a few problems with the published version.
May 14, 2014
This is a incredibly well written story which kept me turning the pages. At times it made me chuckle, it made me go 'Ewww' and it freaked me out enough to make me flinch.
The characters and their relationships give the story a real heart and I was rooting for them as their world got worse and worse.
It's a compact novel with little fat in it which makes it a very quick and enjoyable read. One of the best stories I've read in a long time.
The characters and their relationships give the story a real heart and I was rooting for them as their world got worse and worse.
It's a compact novel with little fat in it which makes it a very quick and enjoyable read. One of the best stories I've read in a long time.
May 12, 2014
Still Water, by Justin R. Macumber, is a dark haunted town tale, and it reads just like one of those tales should! I enjoyed this book a lot and Mr. Macumber has a talent that is readily displayed in this novel. If you like a good story about a town with something hideously wrong with it and it's citizens, this book is for you!
February 25, 2015
I enjoyed this book and would have read it in 1 sitting if it were possible.The storyline has been done before but the characters in this story...'something scarey in the old mine' make you want to know them.Veronica Giguere did a good job of narrating,though some of the characters voices(teen girls) were a bit irritating.All in all a good read.I would read a sequel!
January 25, 2016
I really enjoyed the story very much.
June 8, 2014
It was okay.
January 30, 2015
good story. I enjoyed it mire than I was expecting too.
March 15, 2021
I went through stages with this book. I both liked and loathed the supporting characters which is probably by design. I thought there were solid parts of the story that drew me in, but overall it fell flat for me. The protagonists were alright, but nothing that stood out to me and made me want something good or bad to happen to them. In the end, I felt like the book ended well enough though I do think that there could have been more "aftermath" detailed. I am still ruminating on whether I will be reading the follow-up book or not.
August 14, 2016
This is a pretty solid, old-fashioned horror novel that makes good use of its West Virginia coal mining country setting and bears no small debt to Lovecraft. However, a few problems emerged that made it a little less than fully enjoyable for me.
Firstly, demonstrating characters' evilness by having them constantly spout racist, sexist, and homophobic slurs only goes so far before it becomes repetitive and obnoxious for the reader. It works for shock value the first few times, such as during the scene when newcomer Maya goes to the town diner, but soon starts to seem like lazy writing. An external evil force has overtaken the townspeople, but it is explicitly proposed that rather than the evil force making them racist, etc., the evil energy has simply revealed what was hidden in their hearts all along. Now I'm sure that West Virginia's small towns have their share of jerks, but this book implying that nearly all of this town's people are jerks doesn't do anybody any favors.
Next, while the two main characters, Maya and Kyle, are relatively fleshed out (Kyle more so than Maya, who is first and foremost a sex object for Kyle, over and above the intelligence and agency that she does at least display), the rest of the characters are slightly thin at best and stock caricatures at worst. There are also plenty that I would equate with "non-playable characters" in video games: they exist to add color and detail to the world, but often in ways that exacerbate the problems between men and women that underlie the book anyway. For example, there's a scene where a (possibly possessed?) woman gets beaten to death by a (definitely possessed) man while the main characters basically just watch. Because we needed this additional illustration of the townspeople turning evil?
I was ready to give this book 3 stars anyway because of the otherwise good creepy atmosphere, Kyle's sister Taylor being awesome, and the good pacing, but then the ending didn't wow me. Kyle's friend Dirk, whom we saw only once earlier, is brought in as a Deus Ex Machina, the plot line of Maya's "old blood" gets dropped, Maya herself doesn't get to do very much after Kyle rescues Taylor, except for a last-minute mind-meld with the Old Ones that doesn't make much sense. And the thing with Darius, Maya's ex who gets attacked en route to Stillwater, was completely random and didn't need to be in the book at all.
With a little more editing and more attention paid to the power of bad words, this could have been a commendable horror novel. I'm not sorry I read it, though, and will look for more books by the author.
Firstly, demonstrating characters' evilness by having them constantly spout racist, sexist, and homophobic slurs only goes so far before it becomes repetitive and obnoxious for the reader. It works for shock value the first few times, such as during the scene when newcomer Maya goes to the town diner, but soon starts to seem like lazy writing. An external evil force has overtaken the townspeople, but it is explicitly proposed that rather than the evil force making them racist, etc., the evil energy has simply revealed what was hidden in their hearts all along. Now I'm sure that West Virginia's small towns have their share of jerks, but this book implying that nearly all of this town's people are jerks doesn't do anybody any favors.
Next, while the two main characters, Maya and Kyle, are relatively fleshed out (Kyle more so than Maya, who is first and foremost a sex object for Kyle, over and above the intelligence and agency that she does at least display), the rest of the characters are slightly thin at best and stock caricatures at worst. There are also plenty that I would equate with "non-playable characters" in video games: they exist to add color and detail to the world, but often in ways that exacerbate the problems between men and women that underlie the book anyway. For example, there's a scene where a (possibly possessed?) woman gets beaten to death by a (definitely possessed) man while the main characters basically just watch. Because we needed this additional illustration of the townspeople turning evil?
I was ready to give this book 3 stars anyway because of the otherwise good creepy atmosphere, Kyle's sister Taylor being awesome, and the good pacing, but then the ending didn't wow me. Kyle's friend Dirk, whom we saw only once earlier, is brought in as a Deus Ex Machina, the plot line of Maya's "old blood" gets dropped, Maya herself doesn't get to do very much after Kyle rescues Taylor, except for a last-minute mind-meld with the Old Ones that doesn't make much sense. And the thing with Darius, Maya's ex who gets attacked en route to Stillwater, was completely random and didn't need to be in the book at all.
With a little more editing and more attention paid to the power of bad words, this could have been a commendable horror novel. I'm not sorry I read it, though, and will look for more books by the author.
April 26, 2015
Audible review.
Is there anything you would change about this book?
Yes. I would change the narration. I had a very hard time following the story between having to turn the volume up and down and the narrator being all over the place. I had a difficult time distinguishing who the characters were.
Would you recommend Still Water to your friends? Why or why not?
Not really because I'm afraid they would feel the same way. I don't think they'd appreciate the colorful language either. And it wasn't just cursing which doesn't really bother me.
Did Veronica Giguere do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?
Not in my opinion. She was all over the place with slowing down and speeding up and add that to the fact I was constantly having to adjust the volume, I had difficulty following the story.
If this book were a movie would you go see it?
Possibly. I think it could have been so much better and I felt disappointed with the audio quality of the book.
Any additional comments?
This audiobook felt hurried and should have had better editing and better narration. I'm left feeling confused as to what happened with this book. It wasn't good at all. Very disappointed.
Audiobook received in exchange for unbiased review.
Is there anything you would change about this book?
Yes. I would change the narration. I had a very hard time following the story between having to turn the volume up and down and the narrator being all over the place. I had a difficult time distinguishing who the characters were.
Would you recommend Still Water to your friends? Why or why not?
Not really because I'm afraid they would feel the same way. I don't think they'd appreciate the colorful language either. And it wasn't just cursing which doesn't really bother me.
Did Veronica Giguere do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?
Not in my opinion. She was all over the place with slowing down and speeding up and add that to the fact I was constantly having to adjust the volume, I had difficulty following the story.
If this book were a movie would you go see it?
Possibly. I think it could have been so much better and I felt disappointed with the audio quality of the book.
Any additional comments?
This audiobook felt hurried and should have had better editing and better narration. I'm left feeling confused as to what happened with this book. It wasn't good at all. Very disappointed.
Audiobook received in exchange for unbiased review.
July 27, 2014
I entered this giveaway because I thought I saw a recommendation on the cover by Stephen King. My bad for not looking closer, the quote is "...all the Americana of Stephen King." I'm going to be honest, I've been puzzling over that sentence for several days now. I know what the words themselves mean, but that sentence... it's got me scratching my head. Maybe the true purpose is to reel people in by just having the name Stephen King near quotes.
It's not a terrible book, but nor can I say it knocks your socks off. While the characters were well written enough to keep me interested, the story seemed to fall a bit flat.
**I received a free copy of Still Water through a Goodreads giveaway.
It's not a terrible book, but nor can I say it knocks your socks off. While the characters were well written enough to keep me interested, the story seemed to fall a bit flat.
**I received a free copy of Still Water through a Goodreads giveaway.
April 11, 2023
Excellent book!!!
April 21, 2016
A decent yarn about an Evil Being at the bottom of an Appalachian coal mine attempting to take over the world. If you like this kind of story, go for it.
December 6, 2015
Unfortunately, my mind kept wandering even at the finale.
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